Seoul Off the Beaten Path Tips by andrew_in_ilbon

This is a traditional Korean neighborhood, located
just behind the Dongdaemun market complex. On
weekends, the buying and selling spills over into
Sindang, and clogs the streets with a huge, anarchic
flea market.

Stalls line the roads selling secondhand clothes,
antiques, junk, fishing rods, old record players, huge
live sea turtles flapping around in buckets,
traditional medicine, vibrators, porn tapes (very
underground in Korea!) and illegal blackmarket
Japanese pop music (still banned here over wartime bad
feeling).

There aren`t many tourists around, its mainly wizened
old locals and savvy Korean bargain-hunters and the
lowkey, yet bustling atmosphere could hardly be more
authentic. In addition to all the market wares, keep
your eyes out for little neighborhood shrines,
crumbling old apartment blocks, food stalls, and
fragrant arcades selling kimchi, fish and spices...and
of course, dog meat!

If you dig around in the sidestreets you`ll find
several dogbutchers serving up Korea`s most
controversial specialty-but beware, it has become
quite a sensitive topic and brandishing your camera at
the rows of skinned puppies on metal hooks might not
get a very positive response!

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Established by a wealthy and eccentric collector and opened to the public, this is one of Seoul`s more unexpected sights.

The "Asia Eros" museum features prints, sculptures and paintings from all over Asia about the subject of...sex. Its all very tastefully done though. One of the most amusing things is the heavy emphasis on Japanese and Indian objets d`art - with almost nothing from Korea! No sex thanks, we`re Korean? Most memorable for me were a pair of tiny Chinese shoes, worn by concubines with bound feet, sitting in front of a painting which shows men cavorting with their concubines and kissing thier fetishized tiny feet , little more than bleeding stumps...ewww.....

Also noteworthy: politically charged 1920s Japanese prints showing men making love to women of different social strata : nurses, peasantwomen, intellectuals.In each case however the man`s anatomy is a case of clearly wishful thinking on the part of the (male) artist!

Also an Indian statue of a dude getting jiggy with a horse!

Entrance is a bit steep at 10,000 won but includes a drink on the rooftop cafe.The museum is conveniently located close to the Gyeongbokgung Palace and National Folk museum (recommended!), the Tibetan Art Museum and the Blue House, the president`s mansion,if you want to make a day of it.

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Website: http://www.jongno.go.kr/english/culture/museums_08.jsp

This small but colorful collection of textiles, household items and ceremonial objects highlights the culture of Tibet, which has links to Korea`s own.

The museum is only a few rooms, but can easily be combines with the Asia Eros museum around the corner (see separate entry) with which it is affiliated.

Quite a contrast!

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Website: http://www.jongno.go.kr/english/culture/museums_21.jsp

InNterested in learning more about owls? Tax? African art? Rice cakes?

Try out some of Seoul`s smaller, specialist collections....

They are full of surprises!

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Website: http://www.jongno.go.kr/english/culture/museum.jsp